Marking-tally.



W. W. LILLARD.

MARKING TALLY.

APPLIUATIoN FILED 0003.7, 1910.

Patented Aug. 5, 1913.

Inventor:l

'tti/s.

A eSt.

WILLIAM W. LILLARD, 0F DALLAS, TEXAS.

MARKING-TALLY.

Specification of Letters' Patent.

Application led ctober 7, 1910.

Patented Aug. 5,1913. Serial No. 585,818.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM W. LILLARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dallas, in the State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Marking-Tallies, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part thereof.

l The object of this invention is to provide a marking and tallying device especially adapted for use in marking lumber, &c., and for keeping tally on the number of pieces marked.

The device comprises a suitable holder for a pencil, crayon, or other like marker, a register or counter, and means whereby pressure of the marker against an object, in the act of marking, causes the register or counter to be actuated. Means are also provided whereby the actuation ofthe register or counter by the marker may be prevented at the will of the user.

The invention will be more fully explained hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawing in which it is illustrated and in which- Figure 1 is a view in side elevation, partly in section and partly broken away to save space, of a tallying device or counter which embodies the invention. Fig. 2 is a detail view, partly in section and on a larger scale, showing some of the preferred details of construction.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawing, a tubular handle a, having its extremity closed by a cap a provided with suitable washers a2, receives within it a counter b, which may be of any suitable kind and need not be described in detail f herein. As shown, its index wheels b are exposed through a sight opening b2, which registers with a similar sight opening a3 in the handle a, so that the register or counter may be read at any time. The counter is also shown as having an actuating shaft b3,

and is assumed to beactuated, through welll known mechanism, by rotary oscillations of the actuating shaft b3. In the forward end at of the handle a, which may be somewhat reduced, in diameter, is suitably mounted, so as to be capable of relative longitudinal movement therein, a spindle c. At its inner end the spindle may be formed with a ila-nge c to coperate with a shoulder a5 of the handle a, so as to limit the forward movement of the spindle, and bears against a spring (Z which is supported at -its other end in a spring case @,which, in turn, may be supported against the counter b. At its forward end the spindle c carries the marker f. As shown in the drawing, this marker may consist of a crayon grasped between Jaws f which may be pressed upon the crayon by a sliding ring f2. The jaws are carried by a shank f3 which may be threaded into the end of a ferrule g suitably secured to the spindle c; As the spindle c is longitudinally movable within the handle a and is yieldingly supported by the spring d, it will be seen that whenever the marker f is pressed against any object, as in the act of marking, relative longitudinal movement of the spindle and handle will be occasioned. As a convenient and practical means of causing this relative movement of the marker and handle to actuate the counter b, the rear end of the spindle c has secured thereon a cup or cap h which in its rear end is slotted, as at z, to coperate with a helix z' which is secured in the end of the actuating .shaft b3 of the counter. Accordingly, when the marker is moved rearwardly with respect to the handle, the actuating shaft b3 willreceive a partial rotation in one direction through the coperation of the helix i and the slotted cap It and as relative forward movement takes place will receive a corresponding partial rotation in the opposite direction, the actuating shaft b3 thus having imparted to it the loscillations necessary to actuate the counting mechanism.

Should it be desired for any reasonto prevent the actuation of the counting mechanism, this may be accomplished by a suitable sto arranged to prevent relative movement o the marker and the handle. As shown, a link k on the forward end of the handle a furnishes a support for a pivoted latch Z, which is pressed normally by a spring m so that its forward end Z shall er1- gage a collar fn. secured on the spindle c. The rear end of the latch Z is conveniently placed to be pressed by the thumb of the user, so that its forward end may be disengaged from the collar n and permit relative movement of the spindle and handle.

It will be understood that various changes in details of construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, which is not limited to the particular construction shown and described herein.

I claim as my invention:

A marking tally comprising a ltubular handle, a counter carried Within said handle at one end, counter-shaft Within said counter and rotatable with respect thereto, a nonrevoluble marker supporting spindle mounted in said handle and movable longitudinally with respect thereto, a spring to press the spindle forward With respect to said handle, a helix Wholly Within said handle and rigidly secured to said counter-shaft, a' cap carried by said spindle having a slot in its end in which said helix is disposed, the

slotted ca'p coeaeting with the helix, whereby rotary oscillation of said counter-shaft is produced upon relative longitudinal movement of the spindle and the handle, and manually operatedv means to prevent said relative longitudinal movement comprising a collar on the spindle and a spring pressed pawl mounted on the handle and normally in engagement with the collar.

This specication signed and witnessed this 1st dayof October A. D., 1910.

WM. W. LILLARD.

Signed in the presence of G'. H. CLARK, S. l?. STRINGFELLOW. 

